West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-02-10
WHITE RIVER HORROR.
FORTY PERSONS KILLED land
BODIES BURNED.
wreck on the Vormont Central
haIlroad-Four Cans FAN From a
Is 4dge-Horror-Stric Wit
ncsses of an Awful
Scene of Death.

The Montreal express was wrecked four
miles north Of White River Junction. VT.
Saturday morning, and from SO 70 A. p,s-
sengers lost heir lives la the burning ruins.
The disaster was the worst in New England
railroad history, The mercy OF in
slant death came 10 few Of those who
perishoi, aud the suffering OF those
who still live were hardly less frightfui.
Death came 10 many in its most horrible
form. by fire. The wrecked x1ress was the
regulI r night train from Boston ana New
York for Montreal, vi, the Central Vermont
Railroad. IL was few minutes late when
pulled out of the White II ye- Junction.
Behind the engine were the baggage car,
mail combination car, two passenger coaches
and two s!eeperS-)uo from New York aud
the other from Boston. The train ran. ns
usual. at abou. IS miles an hour through
white RIVER village alb u a mile away, aud
thence up light grade toward bridge
which crossed the river about three miles b =
yond. Toe roat makes a sharp turn 20 the
right few hundred fee: before reaching the
bridge. Between CHS curvs anl tn, brid,
occurred the mishlp which caused the
disaster. IL is impossible to say
whether the de'ecL was broken
Journal,a broken wheel or a broken rail. The
third car Of the train left the track at this
point. The three following cars were also
thrown of, aud they bumped along over tho
sleepers until the ridge was relchsd. Then
the couplings broke, and the fous cars sui,
denly plunged down a sheer fall of more than
hity feet to the frozen river below.
scene of unsp,akab!e horror followed.
More than seventY~lve persons were imp-is.
oned in the great shapeess pile that lay like
an unlghted funeral pyre on tho ice. The
climax OF horror soon came. Hardly hal the
awful shrieks OF the weundel and dying been
hrst heard than fire started a. the very bot
tom OF the great heap and soon added its tor,
ture TO the pIngs OF the imprisoned passen-
gers. The time tor Rescue was appalling'y
orlef. Hardly an uncrippe1 man escaped
from the wreck, and those wh) did had bat a
few moments in which to rescue such OF their
fellow passengers as were not beyond help.
The work Of recovering wrecl, ,ge and
bodies has BEEN pushed vigorously. The ru.
ms have been m'nutely selrcle l. and prob,
ably all recovered that can b.. The iron
work of the cars has all be,n pulled over and
cleared away.
Drs. Grinnell aud Singham, of Burlington.
have thoroughly examined thu chlrrei re-
mains OF victims thus far recovered, for thu
purpose of asc ,rtaining the numb,r.
All communications regarlilg pl,seager5
should be ADDRESSED To Hsary E. Tinker.
station agent, White River Junction, VI.
MIR. Fuller also ind)rses thu statement tn It
from all Information ob.aina0e at this time
from connec ing road ciet agents AMI sur
vivors OF the dis lstsr il is believed thu t)tal
number o. s1Vis on bDlrd OF the Ill -fated
train, inclu1 ns train men, was
eighty>one. OF theD thirty~two are
accounted for, thirty>five are in the care OF
surgeons, one diei Sunday, AMI niue left on
the same train with the unnjurei, leaving
only four uuacc)unted for. 1t is Understood
there were some children without tickets. 50
the above figures may be slightly clan rel.
Every article of clothing. scrap Of paper.
or other thing found, is being carefully
saved for the purpos5 OF Identification. and
parties having friends unaccounted for VII
be Afforded every ME ans or clue u the idsnti~
hcation o. the / s. or unknown. The best Of
police protection has bean given from the
hrst. Some OF the wreck has been ro5ed off
and the ler.ff, assisted By numerous pee al
deputies, perm Is only workman aud inter,
ested known plrt.e, inside. l. is believed
that so far no thieving has occurred.